A Message
by Cariel
Summary: After his new palace is built on Courscant, Vader requests his belongings sent from the Jedi Temple. He finds a hidden message of seeming unimportance.


In the years after the clone wars ended and the Republic became the Galactic Empire, Darth Vader wanted his belongings removed from the Jedi Temple and brought to his new palatial estate on Coruscant. For the most part, Vader remained on his imperial starship, _The Executor_, but he wanted to go through some of his things, what little he was able to have as a Jedi, and to see what other things he would throw away.

Rummaging through his clothes, he realized that many of the shirts and trousers would not fit anymore due to his reconstructive surgery and new limbs. Tossing them into the pile of items to throw away, a small disc fell out of one of his socks. Raising a brow in curiosity, he decided to see what was on the unfamiliar disc…

The image of a cloaked woman appeared on the miniature holo display. At first she didn't say anything as though she was uncertain about how to operate a holo device, or rather the holo recording properties on a datapad.

Finally, her image came into clearer view and she removed the hood that shaded her face from view.

'This is going to sound very strange, coming from someone you don't know, but I've wanted to give you this message for a long time,' she admitted, her eyes lowered and not directly looking into the recording device. 'I know Milady never properly introduced us, though it's not really that important. I'm Dormé, one of her handmaidens and a member of her security task force.'

Dormé paused a moment and looked around, muttering something to herself that wasn't entirely audible on the recording except for a few words, chastising herself for sounding stupid, the rest was in a language other than Basic.

'What it comes down to is that we never had a chance to talk privately and I've wanted to talk to you for a long time. You probably don't even remember me, but I wouldn't imagine that you would. You'd have no reason to remember me…

'I wanted to thank you for what you did on Naboo. I know it wasn't just you, but your master too, but I never forgot you—you were so pleased that day in the factories when you set us free. We all cheered for you, ignorant of the fact that no factory meant no jobs for us. We were just so pleased to be free from the labour and the abuse—But none of that matters now.

'When I heard your master call for you, I put your name to heart. After I first arrived on Coruscant as part of the senator's handmaidens, your master and you arrived as extra security and I recognised your name—Master Kenobi looked the same as he did that day, but you—you were definitely not a little boy anymore, not the same one that I remembered that day in Uriash, but it was you. I was speechless with joy to be given the opportunity to see you again and to thank you—but there were other, more pressing matters that needed to be tended to. It was so hard to remain serious and focused…

'But as the years passed and each brief homecoming from the frontlines to visit with Milady grew further apart, I had a sinking feeling that I would never be able to tell you how you changed my life. Now the queen has requested I return to Naboo. I don't know how long and I don't know if that means I'll never see you again. That's why I'm leaving this for you. I hope you understand and don't think poorly of me because it.

'I just wanted to thank you and for you to know, no matter how insignificant it may seem, you have made an impact on the life of a poor girl from Uriash who will always think fondly on you and pray that whatever path your life takes you on that I have faith that all who you meet on that path will be brighter for it.'

Dormé attempted to turn the holo off and thought she did, but instead, it remained on and recorded her for a few hours before the datapad lost power.

Dormé sighed and sat back in her chair. She then started laughing at herself, thinking she was so stupid for making this video. 'He's going to think I'm a lunatic—or some crazed stalker…' she muttered to herself. Eventually she took off her cloak and disappeared into another room before appearing in more comfortable clothing. She set about cooking her dinner and singing to herself, oblivious to the fact the datapad was still recording.

When it came time for bed, she picked up her small apartment and took up the datapad with the intent on reading something as she fell asleep. She brought up the display, trying to get it to show her holonovel, but it wasn't working because it was still recording.

She let out a few choice curses, 'Why the _urugal_ won't you work—piece of _araru_. I just want to read that book, damn it. I can't ever get this thing to work right!' She threw it to the other side of the bed, sighing loudly.

Eventually, she was falling asleep, clutching her pillow tightly. Her eyelids fluttered and her breathing grew lighter as she drifted further into the land of dreams. Only one word was audible on the holo as she slept. The single word that escaped her lips as she rested was _Anakin…_


End file.
